It's always busy at IGN, but particularly so during the summer season. We've got big events like E3, Comic Con, TGS, Gamescom and PAX to eSports tournaments like EVO and The International to cover, and that means both editors and producers are in and out of the studio on assignment constantly. It makes updating a blog regularly difficult. For that (irregular updates to this blog) I apologize.

That said, I do have some interesting content to share with you in a quick update. As the headline suggests -- I've been busy.

First up: podcasting. A couple weeks ago I appeared on Podcast Unlocked at Ryan McCaffrey's request. I forget the circumstances, but I was filling in for an editor who was out on assignment. I'm not often in front of the camera, and even less so with any opportunity to speak at length, so I am a little surprised to see that the reception to my presence has been overwhelmingly positive. I guess Xbox fans like seeing a die hard Halo supporter on the show. Needless to say, I've caught the podcasting bug now and at some point I'd like to start my own.

Next up: I doubled my photography output. To be a great shooter, you've got to shoot all the time. I've set a goal with myself to publish one photograph a week, and putting myself on that schedule has really encouraged me to be proactive about it. One photo a week may not sound like a lot in the age of the internet, but consider these things: 1) I don't take photos of my food 2) I loathe selfies and rarely if ever take them and 3) I don't own a pet. A photo a week is a lot for me. Anyway, this portrait is of my friend and colleague Leah Jackson, who actually just announced the other day that she's moving on from IGN. We're going to miss her, but at least I got to immortalize her time at IGN in a nice portrait.

Thirdly, I had an unforgettable time at Comic Con. I met the lovely and talented Emily Bett Rickards and the entire cast of Arrow at Comic Con. They're a delightful group of people and totally down to earth. Emily in particular was very gracious and charming. I have such a huge crush on Felicity Smoak (her on screen character) and it was just awesome to meet the actor who brings her to life and realize that she's totally charming and funny and personable. Not all celebrities are that approachable.

Lastly, I produced this documentary series on the making of Assassin's Creed Unity. The direction Ubisoft Montreal is taking this time around is so interesting and unique that we just had to find a way to tell that story like we have in the past. Even if you're not into Assassin's Creed, if you find the creative process interesting you'll like this series.

So, that's about it for now. Keep it locked right here to see what else I'm working on and if you want constant updates, follow me on Twitter.

San Diego Comic Con is, by a long shot, my favorite event that we cover here at IGN. The atmosphere on the show floor and buzz around movies, television, and video games is palpable, and the turnout dwarfs other events like E3, TGS, and Gamescom. Of course, this is partially because those events aren't open to the public while SDCC is, but it's also because SDCC focuses on all sorts of entertainment and not just video games. You get fans of comic books, video games, movies, television, and collectors all vying for a badge to get into the convention. And as a movies guy myself...SDCC is the jackpot.

So, I figured I'd give y'all a little glimpse behind the scenes at what IGN video does at the convention, because hey, not many people get to see what goes on behind the camera. Luckily for you, the reader, that's primarily where I operate -- behind the camera. So sit back and prepare to get a glimpse into the goings on of the IGN Live show at Comic Con 2013.

This year Naomi Kyle hosted the pre-recorded segments that we implemented into the live show. Often times, these are pre-recorded off site with a content specialist (like Scott from movies or Eric from TV) and then prepped, edited, and inserted into the live show. Naomi likes to prep for these segments in isolation so that she can focus on the content she's talking about. So, she tucked herself away in the corner of the live studio, overlooking the crowds approaching the convention center. I snapped this shot of her while she was in the middle of prepping for the Daily Fix.

In the rear, with the gear. By now y'all know Tim, either from IGN Originals or from his self started campaign to host the Daily Fix (#lettimhost). He's one of the producers who worked on the live show for the duration of the convention, and here he's the monitoring playback during a rehearsal interview segment. Oh yeah, we rehearse interviews with stand ins and Greg and Daemon just make stuff up so that we can test the transitions into and out of prepped packages and commercials and audio levels. You know, technical stuff. I wish we rolled on those made up interviews, because they are hilarious. Pure nonsense.

This is a photo of the IGN Live show set. You may recognize it from our coverage at E3, it's quite literally the exact same set. That large mechanism in the left of the frame is a crane, or a "jib" as it's colloquially called in the film industry. Stick a camera on the end of the arm and you get those big sweeping shots of the set. And, take a closer look at the guy on the far right of the set -- that's Slash from Guns 'N Roses. He was on the live show promoting a new film that he's producing with a new production company that he founded. I forgot the name of it, but it's a horror flick.

The live show was hosted by Daemon and Greg, who I snapped this photo of during rehearsals. Not much else to say about this one, other than that they knocked it out of the park. Every guest we had loved talking to both of them, and the live show wouldn't have been the same without them. Aren't they handsome?

And finally there's Nick Scarpino, our fearless show runner. Nick's one of the executive producers at IGN, and you may recognize his work -- he directed Not Another Zombie Apocalypse (which I shot) and Dishonored in Real Life (which I also shot). This is the guy who runs the whole production, from beginning to end. That includes organizing what packages roll when, what packages we actually shoot, when commercials roll, how the transitions happen...all that jazz. It's a lot to think about, I probably wouldn't ever want to do it. Additionally, he has to deal with celebrities and their publicists (the latter being known to be notoriously prickly) and that is like herding cats. Adorable but difficult cats.

There's a full album of my BTS photos on my Flickr so if you want to check out all the photos, head to that link. I continue to carry my camera around so remember to keep checking back for more behind the scenes looks at what we do around IGN, and if you really don't want to miss an update make sure you follow me on Twitter. If you're feeling so bold, leave a comment telling me what aspect of IGN you'd like to see more of, and I'll do my best to tell the story through photographs and maybe even a video.